Drain-testing apparatus



(No Model.)

B. MERIAM.

DRAIN TESTING APPARATUS.

No. 417,210. Patented Dec. 10, 1889.

N. PETERS. Phalo-Lllhugmplwl. Wnshmglull. D. C.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

BENJAMIN MERIAM, OF BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS.

DRAIN-TESTING APPARATUS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 417,210, datedDecember'lo, 1889.

Application filed January 25, 1888. Serial No. 261,923. (No model.)

. pipe or other vessel prepared to be connected,

by means of a screw or otherwise, with the bore of the drainage orfoul-water pipe or with the sewer used in houses, &c., the said pipebeing provided near its top with an inside flange or other support,which carries a detachable and removable vessel or cup of peculiarconstruction, in which cup rests a I glass or other frangible vesselcontaining an odorous substance, which substance is liberated to thesurrounding air within the pipe by a device for breaking the vessel or aportion of it 5 and the object is to provide a cheap and easily-manageddevice for effecting detection of the location of breakages in thedrain-pipe or the sewer which the drain-pipe enters by means of theescape of odors from the contents of the cup above mentioned.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a drawing in vertical cross-section of oneform of my device. Fig. 2 is atop view of the same. Figs. 3, 5, 6, and 7are drawings in horizontal crosssection in lines shown in Fig. 1, ashereinafter noted. Fig. 1 is a view hereinafter explained.

In the drawings, F F, Fig. 1, is a short pipe, preferably of brass, (notnecessarily of a pipe form, and sometimes bearing a pipe screwed to itsbottom,) bearing at its top, screwed on, (and thus removable,) a cap GG, Fig. 1, also of brass, (or other metal possibly.) Between the upperend of the pipe F F and the cap G G is a washer H H, Fig. 1, of leather,cork, or other appropriate substance. Firmly attached to (cast on thetop of) the cap G G is a boss J, presenting (see Fig. 2) in top view theform of a hexagonally-shaped nut. In the center, inside of the cap G G,(in the lower surface of its horizontal portion,) is a dent or cavity.(See Fig. 1.) Into this cavity enters the cone-shaped top of a rod orbar K, called the discharging-rod. This rod K. passes through a hole inthe center of a spider L L, Fig. 1, or plate with apertures presentedconcentrically, (see Fig. 3,) which spider is screwed concentrically inand across the upper part of the pipe F F. (See Fig. 3.) The rod Kproceeds perpendicularly downward, and bears at its lower end a plate M,with projections on its lower surface, (see Figs. 1 and 4,) which plateis called the crusher. Beneath this crusher (see Fig. 1) is the glassbottle N, lying on its side, tightly corked and nearly filled with,preferably, oil of peppermint. I sometimes fill this bottle with ether,or any other volatilizable liquid or solid such as camphor or ambergriswhich is odorous, and sometimes, instead of a glass orpottery-warebottle, I use a vessel of any eligible substance, providing it at itstop side with a pane or button, of glass or any other easily frangiblesubstance. This bottle N restsin a vessel P P, Fig. 1, called theodor-tank, which is in the shape of a short hollow cylin-' der open atthe top, but bearing a bottom,

and carrying projecting from its upper edge two rods or bars Q Q, Fig.1, to draw it up with and return it, which rods extend upward to a pointjust beneath the spider L L, and are at their respective tops bent to aright angle and proceed a short distance horizontally toward the axialcenter of the pipe F F, to answer as a handle. (See Fig. 1.) Thisodor-tank P Prests on an inner flange attached to the bottom of the pipeF F, and its bottom is formed with a cup-shaped curvature at the centerZ, (seen in Fig. 1,) while round its outer portion (see Fig. 7) thebottom bears eight (more or less) apertures passing thronghit. At itsbottom the'pipe F F is fastened to a branch pipe B, Fig. 1, proceedingfrom the soil or drain pipe S, Fig. 1. hen the soil or drain pipe ishorizontal, or nearly so, at the point where my device is attached, Isometimes dispense with the branch pipe R and utilize instead thereofthe lower end of the pipe or vessel F F, (perhaps lengthened for thatpurpose,) this lower end thus becoming virtually the branch pipe at,which I consider it in my claims as herewith defined.

Operation: The spider L being unscrewed,

and with the rod K and the crusher M withdrawn'from the pipe F F, thenby means of the rods Q Q the cup PP is drawn up out of the pipe F F, andthe bottle N, filled with oil of peppermintor other volatilizal'ileodorous substance, is placed therein, having first been tightly corked.The cup being then returned to the pipe, the spider, rod, and crusherare also returned, and the king screw on the end of the pipe F F is wellgreasedsay with t1-1lowand the cap G G is screwed nearly down (whichscrewing is much facilitated by the nut J) to such a point as that thecrusher M rests lightly on the glass bottle N, as seen in Fig. 1. Thepipe F F now bears its contents hermetically sealed in, (as to the upperpart of the pipe,) and is carefully taken and either fastened at onceonto the drain-pipe or it is laid aside until its use is needed.

I do not limit myself to anyspecial means of connectionof my device withthe drain-pipe. "jSometimes Iscrew it into the opening used to draw.foul water from a bath-tub. Sometimes I attach the pipe to awater-closet fixture,

'cessible portion of the drain-phoe, as seen in Fig. 1.

The device may be connected with the d rainpipe anywhere between themain sewer and the pipe at the top of the house, and with any and'everypart of the drain-pipe, as may 'bedesired; and Isometimes, when theramifications of the drain-pipe are quite extensive, use two or more ofthe test-pipes. In all well-constructed drains a stenclrtrap, awell-known device, is used, and is usually attached to the drain or thesewer outside of the house. The duet may leak and discharge foul aireither on the hither or farther side of the trap, and Iappl y mytest-pipe accordingly, according to judgment or supposition as to thelocality of the leakage.

In the practical use of my invention we will suppose that the air in theduly piped and drained house becomes permeated with lar is hidden, say,by a brick floor.

foul odors. The drain-pipes running from various rooms down to the sewerare concealed behind the plastering or the floor-boards. The portion ofthe draining devices in the cel- To open at random the wall or a floorto discover an aperture perhaps not more than an eighth of an inch indiameter (a hole gnawed by a rat in a lead pipe) or a crack an inch ortwo long and opening one-sixteenth of an inch,

' (say in an earthen pipe broken by a' sunken beam or a loose joint inan iron pipe,) and the presence of either of these defects is enough totaint a house so as to render it unhealthy and uninhahitable,'to exploreat random would be costly, as many successive attempts might all beineiiicacious; but a strong distinctive odor being liberated in thevesselbottom and down the pipe.

side the closed pipe above, it will of course emerge at any point ofbreakage in the pipe. This is the foundation of the plan upon which inor about the year 187a I proceeded in suggesting the adoption of the nowwidely adopted practice (which I never patented) of testing drain-pipes,drains, and sewers, as to their integrity of condition, by means of theuse of odors.

To use my invention, if this apparatus is not already eonnnected withthe drain-pipes, thisconnection is effected. The cap G G is forciblyscrewed down, which causes the crusher M to break the bottle N.(Sometimes I cause the crusher M to force in a stopper instead ofbreaking a vessel.) The peppermint-oil or other contained substance(being odorous) is exposed to the air in the drainpipe. If a liquid isused, a portion of it runs down intothe cup portion of the vessel P P,Fig. 1. The rest runs through'the'apertures (seen in Fig. 7)-of'theother part of The liquid or gas (if ether is used) or the gaseousproduct of the volatilization of the solid 9o substance contained in thevessel N passes into the pipe, and whereventhere may be a breakage,leak, or solution of continuity in the pipe or the sewer, the'odoremerges, and the experimenter is fully apprised by his 5 olfactoryorgans of the exact locationof'the breakage, as the'odor is of'course'strongest where the odorous gas or vapor first-emerges, unmixed, as itthen is, with much atmospheric 'air. Theportion of liquid remain- 10oing in thecupof the vessel P P stays there till evaporated, and is tillthen a'sou'rce of supply of the desired odor, and is a perman'ent testas long as it remains there.

The place of the leakage being thus detected, it is at once reached, thebreakage or defect-repaired, the device, subject to this applica tion,isagain charged, as hereinabove' described, and is then left undisturbedtill a similar exigency again requires its use.

I do not claim any device or combination of devices for the forciblepropulsionot atmospheric air into or in contact with the body of odoroussubstance; nordo I claim any device for the liberation of chemicals to II 5 be combined with other substances in the main containing vessel andfitted for the extinguishing'of fires.

1. In the apparatus hereinabove described for the detection of thelocationof flaws in drain-pipes, sewers, and other containing vessels bythe use of odorous substances, the combination of the containing pipe FF and its removable cover G G, with the'dis- I25 charging-rod K, thefrangible odor-containing vessel. N,and the branch pipe R, allconstructed and arranged substantially as'shown and described.

2. The combination and arrangementof I 0 the pipe F F and its cover, andthe rod K the placing rods or bars Q Q and branch and vessel N, with theodor-tank P 1" and pipe R, all constructed and arranged subbranch pipeR, all constructed and arranged stantially as shown and described.substantially as shown and described. BENJAMIN MERIAM.

3. The combination and arrangement of the pipe F F and its cover, andthe rod K and vessel N, with the odor-tank P P, and

Vitnesses:

LEMUEL P. J ENKS, JOHN BAILEY.

